Surry County Courthouse · Photo: G Keith Hall · CC BY-SA 3.0Dobson spent less per resident in 2022 than 99% of similar cities
Dobson’s town government spent $7,000 on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, about $5 per resident. Water and other utilities ($717,000) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Dobson is run
Read from the town’s budget and official records.
$5 per resident in 2022: less than 99% of them
Dobson’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($5 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $803, and the middle half spent $435–$1,365. Dobson spent less than 99% of them.
Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dobson itself left out).
About $5 per resident a year, or $0.01 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: health & welfare, at 57%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No trend yet
Dobson reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.
The typical homeowner pays $1,290 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 0.74% of the home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Dobson’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.
Tax bills are one input to Dobson’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dobson →
Who’s in charge in Dobson
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Dobson’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The town posts agendas and minutes on dobson-nc.com ↗.
One full-time town employee for every 64 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (1,534).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Surry County Schools
Dobson’s K–12 school district, shared with Pilot Mountain, Mount Airy. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $12,463 per pupil, $7,468 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
North Carolina districts overall: 26% local, 57% state, 17% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Dobson’s votes are counted by county
North Carolina reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Dobson alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Surry County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican76.2%28,565 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat23.0%8,613 votesOthers: 0.9% (330 votes).
Most votes in Surry County: Donald J Trump
North Carolina: Trump 50.9%, Harris 47.6%
100% of Dobson lies in Surry County. Every 2024 race in Surry County is on the county’s page.
Surry County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Dobson.
- 1Your townTown governmentOfficials: dobson-nc.com ↗
- 2North Carolina HouseState representatives
- 3North Carolina SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of North Carolina
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Dobson’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Dobson’s government
How much does Dobson spend per resident?
About $5 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $5 was less than 99% of 221 North Carolina cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Dobson?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $1,290 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 0.74% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.66% across North Carolina. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see dobson-nc.com.
Who runs Dobson’s government?
See dobson-nc.com for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dobson yet.
How did Dobson vote in 2024?
North Carolina counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Dobson alone. Surry County, where 100% of Dobson lies, voted Trump 76.2%, Harris 23.0% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Dobson?
24 full-time and 13 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $108,722 (about $1.3M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Dobson in the state legislature?
State Senate District 36 (Eddie Settle) and State House District 90 (Dan Kiger). The House district also covers four other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Dobson’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →